Captive
by LullabyDust
Summary: Captain Kurogane takes pirate Captain Fai prisoner... but Starfleet Command isn't too happy when Fai 'escapes'. Implied KuroFai, with hints of SyaoSaku. Four parts. FINAL CHAPTER ADDED! Yay!
1. The Fight

"Shots fired, I repeat, shots fired! Entering sector Z-Z-nine-plural-Z-alpha!"

"Hold your fire, Captain! Take evasive action only! Do you copy?"

Kurogane grit his teeth and barked a "Yes, sir!" into the radio before relaying the order to Syaoran. Evasive action was hardly his style.

"Yes, sir!" snapped Syaoran, and suddenly the fighter starship was thrown into a tight spiraling dive. Kurogane shot a glance at his pilot.

"Call me Kurogane, kid," he growled. A smile touched Syaoran's lips but his eyes remained locked on the stars and space before him.

"Yes, sir," he said.

Alarms blared urgently through the whole ship, making it almost impossible to think. He muted them in the cabin.

"Captain! Enemy ship requesting video conference!" called Tomoyo.

"Deny until they agree to cease fire!"

"They have," said Syaoran as he leveled the ship to a less turbulent ride, then quickly tacked on a "sir."

"Then establish video link."

Moments later the video blinked on for all to see and the image of a very cute blonde filled the screen.

"Greetings, Captain Kurogane! This is Captain Fai speaking, but I'm sure you already knew that," he said, smiling. His voice was silky and dangerous, but hidden behind false cheerfulness. Kurogane narrowed his eyes.

"You again," he growled.

"Yes, me again," said Fai. Kurogane noted with some satisfaction the eye patch on Fai's left eye. At least the loss of his arm hadn't gone completely unavenged.

"Is there a reason you attack us, or is it just general malice?" demanded Kurogane. Fai laughed.

"Now, now, Kurgy, you should know me better than that," he scolded playfully. "Of course there's another reason!"

"Then what?"

Fai tilted his head to the side.

"Well," he admitted, "perhaps the actual reasons themselves were a bit unclear. But orders are orders, after all, even among us pirates."

"And have your orders been carried out in full?"

"Oh, no," said Fai, laughing. "I believe an all-out battle is what the Commodore had in mind."

"You won't get one," snapped Kurogane. "You know this sector is home to strictly peaceful colonies. Weapons of any sort are prohibited."

"Ah, yes. I was wondering why you wouldn't return fire. I wonder how long your ship will hold out, though?"

"You won't get in another hit. I've got the best damn pilot in the galaxy."

"Really? How intriguing," said Fai, laughing again. "I've got a pretty good pilot myself. Perhaps you've heard of her- her name is Sakura."

Kurogane glanced at Syaoran- a tightening of the jaw was all that indicated he even recognized the name. The boy had given up a lot when he joined Kurogane's crew.

"Well, I hope your weapons officer is just as good," he snapped, and then cut the link.

Without waiting for Kurogane's order, Syaoran took a turn so sharp the ship's artificial gravity failed for a split-second and the entire crew was thrown to the side. The display screen showed that Fai's ship had wasted no time in firing and the shots just barely missed them.

"Good job, kid," grunted Kurogane, then flipped on the intercom. "All crew to defensive battle stations. Abandon the hull. I repeat, abandon the hull. Medical ward should prepare long-term to receive wounded crew and prisoners."

"Captain, they have a Gatling laser missile," Tomoyo cried. Kurogane frowned.

"I am aware," he snapped. "Full power to engines. Syaoran, get us out of this sector so we can fight back. Petra, divide shield power between engine and decks."

"What about the hull?"

"Ignore it."

"Captain," said Tomoyo, "isn't the hull their most likely target?"

Kurogane narrowed his eyes.

"Are you suggesting I place cargo over crew?"

"No, sir."

"Good. Then you do your job and let me do mine," he snapped, then glanced at the display screen. "Syaoran! Why are still in this sector?"

"With all due respect, sir, I'm doing the best I can. If you haven't noticed, they won't _let_ us turn around."

"Fair enough. Tomoyo, request the Peace Council's permission to return defensive fire within this sector."

"Already done, sir. Request is pending approval."

_BOOM!_

The starship rocked from the impact of the explosion. A dozen more alarms went off that Kurogane immediately silenced. He pulled up a map of the ship to see that the blow had just barely glanced off the shield. Still, it should have been avoided.

"What do you think you're doing, kid? Do you know how to fly this thing or not?"

"Sorry, sir," said Syaoran. He was gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white.

"Captain," called Tomoyo, "the Peace Council has denied our request!"

Before Kurogane could tell her to send it again, another explosion rocked the ship. The artificial gravity stalled again for more than a few seconds.

"_Syaoran!"_

"I'm trying to get us out of here, sir!"

"It's not going to be worth it if we take another hit!"

"We won't," said Syaoran firmly, frowning.

"Exiting sector Z-Z-nine-plural-Z-alpha," announced the sleek computer voice. Kurogane sighed.

"Good job, kid," he muttered. Sometimes it was hard to believe the boy was only seventeen. Syaoran took the ship into a sudden dive and then spun around to face the pirate ship. For the first time, the ship's name was visible, printed on the side- _The Phoenix._ Kurogane chuckled to himself. How symbolic. There was a short stand-offish pause and then Fai's face blinked onscreen again.

"It seems your pilot really is all that," said Fai, beaming. "I must congratulate you on your escape. However, it also seems that we've taken out your right weapon." He tilted his head to the side and smiled. "If you surrender your cargo, perhaps we can avoid an all-out war."

"No deal," said Kurogane, frowning. Fai sighed.

"Ah, well," he said. "I just thought it was an offer worth mentioning."

The image disappeared and was replaced with empty space, pinpricks of light that were actually stars, and _The Phoenix._

"Take it away, Syaoran," said Kurogane.

~X~X~

"_The Phoenix_ is requesting another video conference, Captain," said Tomoyo coolly. Kurogane frowned.

"One more shot and I can take out their last engine, sir," offered Syaoran. Kurogane considered this briefly, then shook his head.

"Establish link," he told Tomoyo, and the video flickered on. The image was heavily pixilated.

"It appears you've won, Captain Kurogane," said Fai with a smirk. "Congratulations on that stunning victory." He clapped his hands slowly.

"Are you just going to state the obvious, or is there a reason you called?"

"Ah, yes, of course. Straight to the point, as always," said Fai. He leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand. "I would like to negotiate the terms of our surrender."

Kurogane scoffed.

"_Negotiate?_ There is no negotiating. Your ship is defenseless and we are still operating at full power."

"_Mostly_ full power," corrected Fai with a smile. "I see your artificial gravity has failed. Besides, we _are_ a pirate ship. You've only taken out the weapons you can see. Perhaps we can't win, but we can put up one heck of a fight. How many crew are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of full surrender?"

Kurogane frowned. He had the distinct impression that Fai was bluffing, but he had surprised him before. And he wasn't entirely willing to risk the lives of his crew because he was too stubborn to listen.

"What do you have in mind?"

Fai smiled.

"My ship and crew go free. I will turn myself in to you as a prisoner of war and willingly give up information about the rest of the fleet, to the exclusion of my own ship, _including_ the whereabouts of the Commodore himself. I will face any and all charges brought against me in court with a guilty plea." There was a pause while Fai let his offer sink in. "Sound fair enough?"

Any other captain would have taken the offer in a heartbeat. Kurogane was not any other captain. He opened his mouth to snap 'no'.

"Captain," Syaoran suddenly said, his voice choked with emotion. He fixed pleading eyes on Kurogane. _"Sakura_ is on that ship."

The penalty for piracy was death. Syaoran had only been able to escape this face himself because of his undeniable talent behind the wheel and many strings pulled on Kurogane's part. Kurogane could only begin to imagine what pain it would put Syaoran through to watch his former fiancé… dang it. He was starting to get soft.

"You're lucky I like you, kid," he muttered, then returned his gaze to Fai's. "You have one hour to prepare. Then we'll beam you and any prisoners you have on board. Understood?"

"Perfectly."

~X~X~

Fai sighed and slid out of his seat. It was, he thought with more than a hint of sadness, the last time he would ever see it or this ship. Hopefully the same would go for his crew.

"We'll come back for you, Captain," said Sakura softly, turning around in her chair to face him.

"You most certainly will not," snapped Fai. "You will not give Captain Kurogane or the rest of the Starfleet any excuse to back out on our deal." Then his voice softened. "And I am no longer your captain." He turned to face the blue-eyed blonde standing next to him. "First mate Yui Flowright."

"Yes, sir!" snapped Yui, standing at attention. Fai smiled.

"You are officially promoted to captain of the _Phoenix._ Treat her well."

Yui frowned.

"Sir," he said. "Are you sure you don't want me to take your place?"

"No," said Fai, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not this time, brother."

And then he left the cabin for the last time.

_~ Okay, so I've actually already finished this but I'm posting it in 3-4 parts because 1) I haven't finished typing it up yet and I'm impatient, and 2) more people see it that way because it stays at the top longer every time I update. Sorry to make you wait ^^'_

_Please review, subscribe, and check out my other KuroFai's! I'll love you forever if you do XD ~_


	2. The Prisoner

Captive

Kurogane stormed through the hallways of _The Dragon._ That idiot Fai and his stupid deals, he thought to himself, was more trouble than he was worth.

The man standing guard to Fai's cell snapped to attention the moment Kurogane entered his vision.

"Captain," he began, "he refuses to speak to-"

"Anyone but me. I know," growled Kurogane. He pushed past the guard and keyed in his access code. The doors slid open easily to reveal an extremely bored-looking Fai. His eyes lit up when he saw Kurogane and he smiled.

"Captain Kurogane! I was wondering when you-"

"Get your ass out here," growled Kurogane, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him out of the cell. Fai looked surprised- good. It was nice to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off his face for once.

"Sir, that's against protocol, he needs to be-"

"Screw protocol," snapped Kurogane as he dragged Fai down the hall. "Tell them I want the training area cleared by the time I get there."

"Ooh, the training area? Is that where we're going, Kuro-tan?" cooed Fai, who had already regained most of his composure. Kurogane suddenly whirled around, slammed him against the wall and got very, very close.

"Do not," he hissed, red eyes burning dangerously, _"call me that."_

Fai smiled and saluted him with the hand Kurogane wasn't pinning to the wall.

"Yes, sir!"

Kurogane decided that if he let every sarcastic comeback, insult, and jibe get to him, they wouldn't reach the training area for a week. Instead, he dragged Fai down the rest of the hall and then shoved him into the elevator.

"All this special treatment, _Captain Kurogane,"_ whispered Fai, pushing himself close to Kurogane. "Is someone looking for some attention?"

Kurogane shoved Fai away in disgust. He could have killed the idiot then and there, but he reminded himself that he was already breaking protocol and adding murder to the list probably would not be very good for his career. Fai just laughed and trailed obediently after him when the doors slid open.

The last of his crew was still scampering out when they reached the training area. The moment they did, what looked like a huge gym shimmered and reverted to a huge white dome. Fai made a sound half-way between a whistle and a hum.

"Psychic holograms," he said appreciatively. "I'm impressed."

"Do you know how to use it?"

"No…" said Fai slowly, drawing out the word. Kurogane frowned impatiently and held out his hand to demonstrate. The air around it shimmered, swirled, then began to take shape, forming into a giant broad sword.

"You try."

Fai frowned and extended one long arm and tapered fingers, brow furrowed in concentration. Moments later, a giant staff with a decorated end appeared. He gripped it tightly, smiling.

"Good enough?"

"For now."

"You don't actually expect me to fight, do you? I don't have any depth perception, so I can't-"

"If I can fight with one arm, you can fight with one eye."

"But that's hardly the same, Kuro-pon! You have a prosthetic arm and I-"

The sword came swinging at him so fast he barely had time to raise his staff to block it.

"Don't call me that," Kurogane hissed. "Now _fight."_

~X~X~

Fai crouched behind the half-wall, drawing an arrow from his quiver and steadying it in his bow. He closed his eye and slowed his breathing, listening carefully. Kurogane was usually easy to hear, but for now the area was silent. He glanced around him and decided to risk poking his head around the corner.

No one was there. He fiddled the light blue feather on his arrow nervously and took one cautious step out. A twig cracked under his foot and he froze.

"What? Worried I'll change my mind and kill you?"

Fai whirled around and let the arrow fly, but it bounced harmlessly off of Kurogane's metal arm. He cursed to himself and then managed a smile.

"You keep telling me I should take things more seriously,  
Kuro-sena. After all, this is hardly a game," he said, gesturing at the half-forest, half-destroyed-building around them. It was true; the weapons they used were solid holograms, which meant that they really could kill each other in this artificial world. Kurogane's eyes narrowed and he hefted his sword up on his shoulders.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop with that ridiculous nickname?" he growled. Fai's smile brightened.

"Oh, but don't I always listen, Kurgy? I almost never call you the same thing twice," he said. The bow in his hands shimmered and was replaced with a staff similar to the one he had first conjured just in time to block Kurogane's blade.

"For a prisoner," he hissed, "you've got a lot of nerve."

It was Fai's personal opinion that if he had any nerve at all he would kiss Kurogane right there, but he kept that thought to himself. Instead he just smiled. That was always the easiest thing to do.

Except Kurogane always seemed to be able to see through his smiles, even if he couldn't quite decipher what was hidden behind them. And for some reason, when Fai used his smiles as a mask, it pissed Kurogane off to no end.

In hind sight, probably not the best idea with Kurogane's sword six inches from his neck.

In moments, he was laying flat on his back with a blade pressed against his throat. Well, it was a change of pace, at least- as long as Fai kept his wits about him, he always won. That coupled with the fact that Kurogane was now practically sitting on top of him meant Fai didn't really mind losing, after all. In fact, if he could get all their fights to end in a manner similar to this, he might not mind losing again, either.

"Congratulations, Captain Kurogane!" he said, laughing. "You've managed to beat me once out of nineteen times. I'm-"

WhooOOOP! WhooOOOP!

At the sound of the alarm, Kurogane leapt away and the world around them disappeared along with their weapons. Just a few feet away, sleek white doors slid open and Kurogane dashed through them. Fai scrambled up after him.

"Kuro-chu, wait!" he called, dashing after him, but of course Kurogane didn't listen. He slipped through the elevator doors just as they were about to close, panting. "What's going on?"

"We're under attack," Kurogane muttered. But then he added, "Probably pirates."

Fai could hear the accusation in his voice and he sighed. It wasn't his ship, he could guarantee that, but he doubted Kurogane would believe him.

"You really don't like me, do you?"

Kurogane shot him a glance. He probably had some witty, obvious comment reserved exactly for this situation.

"Prisoners I really don't like," he growled, "get three months of solitary confinement and the mess hall leftovers for food."

He stormed out of the elevator. Fai hesitated, a little surprised. Then he slipped back into his smile and followed him out. The cabin had almost the same layout as the _Phoenix_, but it was twice as large.

"Tomoyo, what's going on?" demanded Kurogane. "I don't see any ship."

"A glitch in the system, Captain," she said. "We flew right into a meteor shower, and Petra's having trouble-"

"_Petra?_ Where's the hell's Syaoran?"

"We don't know, sir. He just left a few minutes ago."

"_What?_ And you just _let_ him?"

"He- he pushed past us, sir, we…"

While Kurogane was busy interrogating his poor communications officer, Fai snuck a glance at the 3-D map of _The Dragon._ Different parts of it lit up different colors every few seconds when a meteor bounced off the ship. Only one part of it, though, glowed consistently red. Fai smiled to himself.

"Would _someone_ find Syao-"

_BOOM!_

The artificial gravity stalled and they were all flung around the cabin. Petra scrambled back to the pilot's seat.

"WHY DOES THAT KEEP HAPPENING?" roared Kurogane.

"Another glitch in the system, sir!"

"Well, _fix it!_ And find Syaoran!"

Fai cleared his throat to get attention. Kurogane glanced at him.

"_What?"_ he snapped. Fai tilted his head to the side and smiled.

"Is it true," he asked slowly, "that Syaoran helped build this ship himself?"

"I don't have time for your questions," Kurogane snarled impatiently.

"Yes," said Tomoyo. Fai's smile widened.

"Then I believe," he said, pointing to the map, "that he is currently trying to help _fix_ it."

Kurogane followed Fai's finger and his eyes widened.

"That _idiot_ kid… come on!" he snapped, grabbing Fai's arm and dragging him behind.

"Where are we going, Kuro-chu?" asked Fai, stumbling after him and tripping over Kurogane's feet.

"Where do you _think?_ To stop my idiot pilot from getting himself killed!"

~X~X~

Syaoran inched his way cautiously across the ship's exterior, clinging as close to the surface as he could. A meteorite whizzed past dangerously close and he ducked his head.

He looked back up and eyed his goal- what looked like a huge dorsal fin stuck on top of the ship. It didn't look like it served much of a purpose. But in reality, it held the sophisticated equipment and wiring which allowed _The Dragon_- hardly what one would call 'built for speed'- to maneuver quickly out of any situation. It helped, of course, that Syaoran was such a great pilot to begin with.

Although, in hind sight, sticking out of the top part of what was already the most vulnerable part of the ship was probably not the best place to put it.

He grabbed the first rung of the ladder and pulled himself along what would be the top if there were any sensible directions in space. Captain Kurogane's voice suddenly crackled over the headset he was wearing (which, through an incredible feat of technical engineering and utilization of the upper dimensions, also allowed him to breathe).

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, kid?"

Syaoran froze and glanced over his shoulder at the hatch, but it hadn't opened yet. Kurogane must still be inside, putting on all the safety equipment necessary to go out in open space. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Then again, Kurogane had never been one to waste time with even important things like safety, and even Syaoran had decided to skip protocol in favor of time for this. He increased his pace.

"Syaoran, _answer me."_

"_What?"_ snapped Syaoran, then remembered his place and quickly tapped on a slightly-less-disrespectful "Captain."

"Get your ass back in here before I drag it back myself. Let the bots handle damage repair."

Syaoran felt dizzy. He adjusted the headset so he could breathe easier and the feeling passed.

"Sir, the bots weren't programmed to handle this equipment. The ship won't fly well without it functioning properly and I'm the only one who can fix it."

"Assuming for the moment that is true," another voice said suddenly, "couldn't you wait until maneuvering us out of this shower before beginning repairs?"

The hatch clanged open just as Syaoran reached the fin, and Captain Kurogane climbed out, followed by a thin blonde figure. Syaoran's heart almost stopped. It had been three years since he had seen Captain Fai in person. What was he doing out _here?_

Fai scrambled ahead of Kurogane, a brown pack on his shoulder floating as loosely as his blonde curls in the zero-gravity environment. Syaoran began to feel light-headed again, but no matter how he adjusted the headset the feeling wouldn't go away. He pushed past it and keyed in his access code.

The panel slid open. Syaoran clung to the edges of what was almost a doorway, fighting back a wave of dizziness. Passing out in zero-G with no tether was hardly a good idea. At least the problem looked simple enough to correct- the meteor crash had just dislodged a few wires. He reached for his bag of supplies.

It wasn't there.

_Crap._

Syaoran was busy cursing to himself when something tapped him on the shoulder. He whirled around to see Fai, holding out the bag to him.

"It seems you forgot this," he said, smiling. "It also seems the head set you took is faulty. There's an extra one in the bag."

Syaoran ripped open the bag and gratefully exchanged headsets. His head cleared the moment he could breathe again.

"Thank you."

Fai smiled as Kurogane clambered up behind him. He glared at Syaoran.

"You ever do something like this again," he growled, "and I'll have you riding on the _outside_ of the ship the rest of the way home."

"Yes, sir," said Syaoran, grabbing his sonic screwdriver and setting to work.

It only took him ten minutes for repairs, but another five for Kurogane and Fai to drag him away (he had been meaning to do some updates, anyway, and besides, the meteor shower was almost over and Petra could hold her own). Before he reluctantly closed the door, his eyes fell on a piece of paper (really, who used that any more? He had thought they stopped producing it decades ago), and he snatched it up before slamming the panel shut, shoving it into his pocket.

~X~X~

_- What the Note Said -_

Syaoran--

Sakura asked me to pass this message along to you and I didn't want to send anything electronically traceable. I figured this was the most likely place for something to go wrong and you in your stupidity would try to fix it yourself. I hope I'm write.

--Yuko

Dear Syaoran,

God, that sounds so impersonal, doesn't it? Everybody starts their letters like that. But I couldn't decided where to begin, so I guess I figured that was as good a place as any.

I heard some Starfleet captain pulled a bunch of strings to get them to grant you amnesty. I'll bet your skill had a lot to do with it, too, though. Everyone's relieved. Captain Fai had said we'd do everything we could, but he doubted we'd be able to help as long as we're working for Commodore Ashura. Anyways, from what I hear, you're going to be piloting that ship Yuko's been working so hard on the past year, working for Starfleet Command. Well, good for you.

Captain Fai says I should think about finding my own way to join the good side of the law- until then, I've been promoted to pilot, by the way- but you know I can't do that. Nobody would bend the rules for me: I'm nowhere near as good as you. And I can't pick up and start over, either- people would recognize me. Guess the life of a pirate really isn't for everyone. But you miss it, though, don't you? I know I would.

I guess the point of this letter is to tell you I'm glad you've got a new life where you don't have to worry too much about the danger or where your next paycheck is coming from.

And also that I'm waiting for you.

With love forever,

Sakura

~X~X~

Fai leaned back against the wall and blew a lock of hair out of his face. It slid back over his eyes and he gave up.

He pretty much had free reign of the ship, with the exception of the emergency escape pods. Fai chuckled to himself. He would never leave and give the Starfleet another reason to go after _The Phoenix. _Besides, he kind of liked it here.

Fai frowned and clutched knife in his hand, felt the blade pierce his skin and draw out a bead of blood.

_Stupid. You'll be sentenced to death,_ he scolded himself. _There's no point in even hoping now… Not that there was any chance to begin with._

He pushed the knife a little deeper and got more blood in return. This was the only thing that was real, he decided. Everything else- the smiles and jokes and taunts- was a lie. _This_ was real.

Fai heard the doors slide open and footsteps echoed through the training area.

"Captain Fai?" called out Syaoran. The knife immediately disappeared and was replaced with a pair of gloves. He pulled them on, smearing blood across his wrists, not that it mattered since he was covering them up anyway. He smiled as Syaoran approached. Sometimes it frightened him just how easily that smile came.

"I appreciate the title," he said, "but I am no longer your captain. Or anyone's captain, for that matter. What is it?"

Syaoran frowned. He looked concerned. He hadn't seen, had he? No, there was no way, Fai decided. Syaoran was just always worried about one thing or another.

"I, um… I just wanted… to know how- how Sakura's doing," he finally blurted out. Fai laughed gently, hiding his relief. Of course that would be what he was worried about.

"She's fine," he assured him. "She's improved a lot in the last few years. I've tried to tell her should find a way out, but I think she feels trapped. It's a hard life to leave behind, I suppose."

"I… yeah," mumbled Syaoran. He frowned again, something Fai had noticed a long time ago he did when he didn't know what to say or do. "Um- thank you. For protecting her. And the rest of your crew, but, I mean… thank you."

Fai smiled.

"Captain's duty," he said. "And it's _your_ duty to stay behind the wheel, is it not?"

Syaoran's lips tugged into a small smile. He looked at Fai and raised his right hand into a salute.

"It was good to work under you, sir," he said, then turned and left, footsteps echoing loudly, leaving Fai alone with a knife and no one to stop him.

_Then again,_ thought Fai as he tugged the gloves off and the blade shimmered into his hands, _even this knife isn't real._

Maybe nothing was.

_~ Geez, I make cutting sound almost romantic, don't I? Sorry about that ^^'_

_So I hope the whole deal between Syaoran and Sakura isn't too confusing. I wouldn't worry except for the fact that I forced myself to not use flashbacks in this story because I use them way too often. Anyways, I've decided to write a SyaoSaku parallel at the expense of, as always, The Chocolate Shoppe. I apologize to my few dedicated readers out there. I'll try to have the next chapter up ASAP._

_Reviews are much appreciated, and if you read my other KuroFai's, I will love you forever and ever, and give you free cookies and puppies and lots and lots of love ^_^ ~_

7


	3. Escape

Something was wrong.

Fai could tell from the way Kurogane came in the middle of the night, not even fully dressed, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down the hall, ducking into a doorway every time he saw one of his crew. Fai had explored almost every inch of the ship, committed its layout to memory, but he realized with surprise that he hadn't a clue where Kurogane was taking him now.

"Where are we going, Kuro-chu?" asked Fai. Kurogane's jaw tightened at the nickname but he didn't snap or yell like he normally would- another clue that something was seriously wrong. He dragged him down another long hall before finally turning to face him. He gripped Fai's wrist tightly, making him wince, then suddenly ripped off the glove before he could pull his arm away.

"First of all," he growled, fingering the scars on Fai's wrist, "don't do this. _Ever."_

Ruby-red eyes glared into an ice-blue one. Fai was shocked. No one had ever noticed- let alone _cared-_ before. And Kurogane, of all people. He forced a smile to settle on his face.

"It's not like I'll be able to for much longer," he pointed out. "Once you turn me over to Starfleet Command-"

Kurogane shoved him roughly against the wall, eyes narrowed. _"Promise me."_

"I promise," Fai heard himself say without even realizing he had opened his mouth. It surprised him how easily the words came, faster and more natural than his smiles. Was that how telling the truth was supposed to feel?

Kurogane released him and took a step back, looking him up and down. The lights flickered. He handed him back the glove.

"In approximately thirty seconds, we will fly through a large area of dark matter. Syaoran is busy installing updates so Petra will have a hard time getting us out. The power for everything but the engines and the emergency escape pods will fail. They're right down the hall. The effect should last about thirty seconds." He started to walk away, then turned around and glared at Fai, who was so surprised he hadn't even moved. "Hey… _don't make me regret this."_

He spun around and stalked off, shoulders hunched, hands shoved into his back pockets. More than anything, Fai hated to watch him walk away, but he also thought that image of him- indignant, annoyed, but _caring_- was outrageously cute.

"Good night, good night, parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night 'til it be 'morrow," he whispered to himself as Kurogane disappeared around the corner.

The soft, ever-present hum of machinery faded away. The lights flickered off. The artificial gravity failed, of course, and Fai was left alone again, floating in the dark to find his own way out.

He felt along the wall until he found a doorway and grabbed onto it. He pushed himself off of the frame and went flipping down the hall until he reached the end. He felt for the panel and keyed in Kurogane's access code.

Two sets of doors slid open. The sound was strange against the backdrop of dead silence around him, but he pulled himself through and flipped it on. Lights blinked on and one set of doors slid back into place with a quiet _whoosh_ of air.

He buckled himself into place. The controls were exact duplicates of the ones on _The Phoenix._ Fai reached up and pulled the lever that closed the pod doors. He flipped a few switches, tapped in the Captain's access code again and waited while the machine hummed to life. A green light blinked on that said 'ready to eject'.

Fai stared at the panel, pulsing a light blue while it waited for him to confirm that he wanted to leave. He hesitated.

He wasn't sure he was.

Did he want to die? He wasn't sure about that, either. Sometimes he did and sometimes he didn't. Did he want to go to prison? Probably not. Did he want to leave Kurogane behind? Definitely not.

Leaving meant he would probably never see Kurogane again. Dying meant that he certainly never would.

He pressed the panel and closed his eye as the escape pod was thrust into space.

It was too late now, but he already regretted it.

Day Three

Fai found a knife in the first-aid kit. He stared at it for a long time, running his thumb over the blade. He wondered if it would feel any different to cut himself in zero-gravity, imagining droplets of blood floating in the air. Then he quietly put the knife and first-aid kit back up.

Day Five

Fay discovered that, with a bit of artful engineering and a healthy dose of improvising, he could make the escape pod perform a few tricks. After one successful (and thirty-four unsuccessful) loop-de-loops and a couple of loose spirals, he gave up and went back to being bored. When he was tired of that, too, his thoughts turned to Kurogane. This invariably led to murky, dangerous waters, but no one was around to disturb him so he figured it would be alright. It wasn't until he fell asleep mumbling "Kuro-seme…" that he decided enough was enough.

Day Eight Without Kurogane

Fai started adding 'Without Kurogane' to the titles of all his daily journal entries.

Day Eleven Without Kurogane

Fai threw up.

Like everyone else, he had undergone the mandatory three-day zero-gravity endurance test in pilot school, but that was years ago and he had never spent more than a few hours in zero-G before or since. Either way, he thought to himself, it wouldn't have happened if he had stayed on Kurogane's ship.

He wondered what else would be different if he had stayed.

Well, for one thing, he would have _real_ food, not this crap the computer kept trying to feed him that looked like toothpaste but only tasted half as good. He furrowed his brow, thinking. What else?

Ah, yes. There'd be Kurogane.

Day Twelve Without Kurogane

Fai taught himself to play chess, an ancient game that relied on strategy and thinking ahead. It took him a few tries to get the hang of it, but then he beat the computer thirty-six times on easy, medium, and hard- _each._

Day Fifteen Without Kurogane

Fai finally worked up the courage to plug his ship's code into the GPS. He had held back before because, for all he trusted Kurogane, he did _not_ trust Starfleet Command. For all he knew, they were tracking him right now, but he was desperate for human interaction.

He stared at the screen and blinked in surprise.

_The Phoenix_ was only two days away.


	4. Rescue

Captive

"Is it true, Captain Kurogane, that you purposefully allowed pirate Captain Fai D. Flourite to escape?"

Kurogane frowned. He knew the rules and procedures and formalities, but how many times did he have to say it?

"Yes," he said, earning himself a stern look for the lack of a 'sir'. He didn't really care. He was admitting to everything, and his sentence wouldn't be reduced just because he was polite.

"And is it true that you disabled the escape pod's tracking system to hinder the Starfleet's search for him?"

Kurogane sighed and blew a strand of hair out of his face. It had grown long while they held him in 'protective custody'- which was like prison except the food wasn't quite as good.

"Yeah."

The officials interrogating him were obviously shocked by his casual attitude. Was he a former Starfleet Captain or wasn't he?

Feh. He had never really liked this job, anyway. Maybe it would be nice to give up control for once.

But as soon as he thought that, he also thought of Tomoyo, Syaoran, Petra, _The Dragon_ itself…

Okay, maybe he would miss it a little.

A week before they had reached Starfleet Command, he had promoted Syaoran to Captain, but the kid belonged behind the wheel. It was only meant to be a temporary position, anyway, so Syaoran could choose a new captain from his own crew rather than the Starfleet assigning a new one.

He realized he had zoned out and he snapped back to reality.

"… sentenced to twelve years in prison and stripped of your rank and standing as a member of the Starfleet."

The judge's gavel banged on the pulpit with a resounding echo. Kurogane closed his eyes and returned to his thoughts as they led him away. It was much nicer there, anyway.

~X~X~

"You've got a visitor."

Kurogane cracked one eye open as the keys jangled and the door slid open. God, this jail was so old-fashioned. He almost couldn't wait until they moved him to a maximum-security prison. Until then, though, he was allowed a few visitors every now and then. Long tresses of black hair filled his vision.

"Great," he grumbled. "And here I was thinking at least I'd be safe from you."

"No where's safe from me," said Yuko with a devilish smile. Kurogane grinned and sat up.

"It's good to see a friendly face for a change."

Yuko's eyes glinted with something akin to maliciousness and amusement.

"You owe me, Kurogane," she said. Kurogane blinked.

"You mean for the _Dragon?"_

"Nothing's free!" Yuko sang cheerfully, reminding him sickeningly of Fai. "The deal was that you and Syaoran stayed with the ship.

"I made sure Syaoran stayed."

"Yes, but I see _you_ have not."

Kurogane stared at her for a long time. She had built _The Dragon _specifically for him, no charge, as long as he followed her rules. He decided arguing with her was pointless. She always won.

"If you can get to my accounts before the Starfleet freezes them, help yourself," he relented with a sigh. "It's not like I'll be needing any of it."

"Good," said Yuko, sitting down across from him. "Now that business is settled, on to more sociable matters."

"Hmph. Hear anything good lately?"

"I heard from a very reliable source that one Captain Fai D. Flourite has returned to his post as captain of _The Phoenix._"

"Old news."

"Really? So then I assume you also know that he's left Commodore Ashura's fleet to work for himself?"

Kurogane couldn't help but laugh. "I'll bet the commodore's not too happy about that."

"He certainly isn't. He's been sending his ships on a rampage."

"Is it true that he all but raised Fai himself?"

"Well, you'd have to ask Fai that, wouldn't you?" said Yuko slyly. Kurogane frowned, but she continued. _"The Dragon_ was attacked."

"_What?"_

Yuko smirked at his reaction, but underneath she was serious.

"They took prisoners, too," she continued. "The captain, the communications officer, and the co-pilot. They left the pilot himself alone and haven't demanded any ransom yet, which is rather worrisome."

Kurogane tensed, eyes wide.

"They didn't take the pilot _because I promoted him to captain!_ They took Syaoran!" he yelled. Yuko looked surprised.

"Well, that poses a problem," she said slowly. Kurogane jumped up and started pacing. "I'll see what I can do to speed up Starfleet's response protocol."

"_Dammit!"_ Kurogane yelled, slamming his fist against the wall. He let loose a string of curses too foul to repeat and didn't stop until Yuko suddenly stood up, strode across the room and slapped him. Kurogane stared at her in shock.

"Watch your mouth," she snapped, then sat back down with a sigh. "You know full well there's more I can do for him than you even if you were still captain."

Kurogane rubbed his sore cheek and frowned.

"I think that's the first time anyone's hit me without getting punched back," he muttered, flopping down on the rock-hard bed defeatedly.

"I'd like to see you try," dared Yuko. Kurogane gave a bitter laugh.

"When I get out of this hell hole, I might take you up on that offer," he grunted. He did his best to push Syaoran, Petra, and Tomoyo out of his mind, but it was useless. He stood up and started pacing again, Yuko's eyes following him analytically.

"You know…" she said suddenly. "I could get you out of here, for a price."

Kurogane glanced at her. The military in him- the side that followed the rules and liked structure and routine- said no, no more breaking the rules. The captain in him- the side that liked freedom, and giving orders rather than taking them- said yes. The side that didn't like being in debt to Yuko also said no.

"Visiting time's up," the guard suddenly called, unlocking the door. Yuko stood up and glanced at him over her shoulder as she left.

"Think about it," she said. "I'll be in touch."

Kurogane sat back down again. Feh.

At least he had plenty to think about while he was here.

~X~X~

Kurogane never got the chance to take Yuko up on her offer because that night he was rushed from the millennia-old jail and ushered into a three-man ship in handcuffs. He was to be taken to a maximum-security prison orbiting around the planet, but no matter how many questions he pestered the guard with, he couldn't get a straight answer as to why this change was so rushed. He had slightly better luck with the pilot, though, who muttered something about "a pirate threat, now shut up."

~X~X~

Day One

Kurogane learned that he was wrong; the food _was_ better in protective custody. Also, the beds were slightly less comfortable than concrete, so he had taken to sleeping on the floor.

Day Three

Kurogane quickly discovered the equivalent of Yuko in the prison- the one who knew everything about everyone, within _and_ outside of these walls. Her name was Yuro. He approached her during lunch and traded half the crap they called food here for information about the attack on _The Dragon._

The ship that had taken Syaoran, Tomoyo, and Petra captive was _The Phoenix._ Kurogane stalked away angrily, forgetting his 'lunch' on her table, not sure what to think anymore.

Day Forty-Five Without Fai

Kurogane started adding 'Without Fai' to the title of all his daily journal entries, and changed the number of days to when he had let Fai escape.

Day Forty-Nine Without Fai

Kurogane couldn't get Fai out of his head. Yuro must be wrong. Fai would never betray him.

Day Fifty-Two Without Fai

Kurogane started so many fights trying to forget everything that they put him in solitary confinement. He sat on the floor, silently praying that the whole twelve years wouldn't be like this.

~X~X~

WhooOOOP! WhooOOOP!

Out of habit, Kurogane reached for the control board to silence the alarms, but his hand passed through thin air. He stared at it for a long time before cursing and kicking the wall. He was _useless, helpless._ He should be out there barking orders, not sitting in his cell waiting to be rescued like some damsel in distress.

The loudspeaker in his cell crackled on suddenly, but it wasn't the warden's voice that spoke. It was a more familiar one that, as much as he would never admit it, gave Kurogane butterflies in his stomach.

"Good morning, prisoners and workers of the Starfleet Confederation! This is Captain Fai D. Flourite of _The Phoenix_ speaking. I can see that most of you are a little panicked, and I just wanted to assure you that there's no need to be, as long as you don't resist. There's not much point, anyway; you're outnumbered and outgunned.

"Anyways, I'll be sending a team of three men on board to retrieve a certain prisoner and then we'll just be on our way. Thank you so much for cooperating and have a nice day! This is Captain Fai, out."

The intercom lapsed into silence and Kurogane stood stock still, his heart ramming against his chest.

Ten minutes later he was on board _The Phoenix_ with Syaoran, Sakura, Tomoyo, Petra, and Fai as it zoomed away.

~ FIN ~


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Thanks for waiting so patiently and sticking with me through Captive :) Because so many of you asked so nicely (and also because I was bored) I finally decided to write a sequel! I have posted the first chapter as a new story under the title 'More Than Treasure'. I hope you enjoy!


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